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The Lion King 1½
The Lion King 1½ (also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata outside of North America) is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated musical comedy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and DisneyToon Studios and released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The film was also theatrically released internationally and in selected cities in the United States. It is the third (chronologically, the second) installment in The Lion King. trilogy. The film focuses on the meerkat/warthog duo Timon & Pumbaa before, during and after the events of The Lion King. It was followed by a television film, The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, which premiered November 2015 on Disney Channel, and serves as the pilot for the television series The Lion Guard. Much of the original cast returned to reprise their roles. The Lion King 1½ was released on Blu-ray in The Lion King trilogy box set on October 4, 2011, and was released for individual sale on March 6, 2012 alongside The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. The Blu-ray and DVD released, along with the previous sequel and the Diamond Edition release of the first film, were removed from release on April 30, 2013. Plot The film is told through the perspective of Timon and Pumbaa through the literary device known as a frame story. The two are shown in silhouette from watching the original film, The Lion King, in a style nearly identical to that of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Timon interrupts the film to fast-forward to his scenes, but Pumbaa's protest prompts Timon to share his backstory. Timon is a social outcast in his meerkat colony on the outskirts of the Pride Lands. While unconditionally supported by his mother Ma, Timon dreams for more in life than his colony's bleak existence hiding from predators. Uncle Max is nearly eaten by hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed due to Timon's day dreaming. This becomes the last straw for the colony, prompting Timon to leave to find a better life. He meets the mandrill, Rafiki, who advises him to find his place in the world via Hakuna Matata and to look beyond what you see. Timon takes this saying literally and observes Pride Rock in the distance. Believing Pride Rock to be his paradise home, Timon ventures to the rock and encounters Pumbaa the warthog on his way. The two quickly form a bond and Pumbaa accompanies Timon. The pair arrive at Pride Rock during the presentation of the new prince to the Pride Lands' animals (to Timon's annoyance, believing the crowd to be a long line to claim Pride Rock as real estate). Timon then looks beyond Pride Rock to find a small cove near a pond. To Pumbaa's reluctance, the pair cut through the crowd, but Pumbaa nervously claims he doesn't do so well in crowds. Pumbaa explosively passes gas, causing nearby animals to faint but prompting animals further away to bow to Simba. The pair make a home at the cove near the pond, but are rudely awakened one morning to the sound of Simba singing I just can't wait to be king. The pair leave due to the noisy neighbors, and find a new home at the Elephant Graveyard. They are scared away from there after witnessing Mufasa fight the hyenas, and Timon (who'd mental state seems to be declining at this point) decides to make a home in a glowing green cave. Scar's rendition of Be Prepared scares the pair off again, and Timon then chooses to find a home in a hot gorge. The pair are then chased by the wildebeest stampede (that results in Mufasa's death in the original film), but miraculously survive albeit being thrown off a waterfall. Exhausted from their adventure, Timon decides to give up, until Pumbaa (who had been talking about a magical place that raised skepticism from Timon) turns Timon's head to a luxurious green jungle. The pair finally settle there with the philosophy of Hakuna Matata. During their time there, they encounter a homeless lion cub named Simba in a nearby desert, nearly dead. The pair rescue young Simba and decide to raise him under their philosophy. Scenes are shown of Simba's chaotic upbringing from a hyperactive and affectionate young cub, to an ambitious and egotistical adolescent, to a laid-back and content young adult. Years later, Nala appears after chasing Pumbaa and reunites with Simba. Believing Hakuna Matata to be in jeopardy, Timon and Pumbaa attempt to sabotage their dates, but fail. After witnessing Simba and Nala's off-screen argument, Simba disappears, to Timon's horror. Nala and Rafiki explain that he had run off to challenge Scar, and need their help. After Nala leaves to follow Simba, Pumbaa argues with Timon, who is hurt that Simba had left them and selfishly declares he has everything he wants in the jungle. Pumbaa leaves to follow Simba, and loneliness starts to overcome Timon. Rafiki appears again and helps Timon realize that his true Hakuna Matata is with his friends, prompting Timon to take off after Simba, Nala and Pumbaa. Timon catches up and reconciles with Pumbaa and they forgive each other, before then journeying on to Pride Rock. After helping Simba and Nala with a distraction (the luau dance), Timon and Pumbaa evade the hyenas and run into Ma and uncle Max who came looking for Timon (after Ma met Rafiki earlier in the film). Timon proposes that they help Simba by getting rid of the hyenas. Whilst Simba battles Scar, Ma and uncle Max are directed to construct a series of tunnels beneath them, and Timon and Pumbaa use various tactics to distract the hyenas while the tunnel is being made. When the tunnels are finished, Max quickly knocks down the sticks, breaking the ground under the hyenas. However, the last few get stuck and the plan fails. Cornered once again by the hyenas, Timon bravely dives underground and breaks the remaining sticks, completing the cave in, and causing the hyenas to be ejected through the tunnels. Immediately afterwards, Scar is thrown off the top of Pride Rock by Simba. Simba accepts his place as king of the Pride Lands, thanking Timon and Pumbaa for helping him. Timon takes Ma, uncle Max and the meerkat colony to live in the predator-free jungle to complete his Hakuna Matata. The meerkats and Pumbaa celebrate with Simba, praising Timon as their hero. In the final scene of the film, Ma, uncle Max, Simba, Rafiki and many other silhouetted Disney character cameos join Timon and Pumbaa to re-watch the film in the cinema. As the film fades to black, Pumbaa reminds Timon that he still doesn't do well in crowds. Voice cast * Nathan Lane as Timon * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa * Julie Kavner as Ma * Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max * Matt Weinberg as Young Simba * Matthew Broderick as Simba (teenager and young adult) * Robert Guillaume as Rafiki * Moira Kelly as Nala * Cheech Marin as Banzai * Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi * Jim Cummings as Ed * Edward Hibbert as Zazu * Jason Rudofsky as Flinchy * André Sogliuzzo as Zebra 1 and Zebra 2 * Additional voices: Jeff Bennett - Male Meerkat Digger #1, Iron Joe and Bashful, Corey Burton - Grumpy, Cam Clarke, Bill Farmer - Doc, Sleepy and Goofy, Shaun Fleming - Lost Boys, Carolyn Gardner - Snow White, Bob Joles - Sneezy, Tress MacNeille - Female Meerkat Digger #1, Alex Manugian, Del Roy, Chris Sanders - Stitch, Kevin Schon - Happy, Blayne Weaver - Peter Pan, Andrea Wolfson & Tony Anselmo - Donald Duck * ADR loop group: Sally Ann Brooks, Cooper Cowgill, David Cowgill, Rachel Crane, Moosie Drier, Jackie Gonneau, David Hiller, Wendy Hoffman, Mark Robert Myers, Juan Pope, Kane Ritchotte, Clay Savage, & Aaron Spann Songs * Digga Tunnah (performed by Susan Boyd, Debra Bird, Carmen Carter, Randy Crenshaw, Kevin Dorsey, Karen Harper, Dorian Holley, Rick Logan, Arnold McCuller, Kristle Murden, Bobbi Page, Gina Taylor-Pickens, Carmen Twillie, Fred While & Tony Wilkins with the voice talent of Nathan Lane) * That's All I Need (performed by Nathan Lane) * Circle of Life (performed by Carmen Twillie) * I Just Can't Wait to Be King (performed by Oliver King) * Be Prepared * Its a Small World (performed by Nathan Lane) * Hakuna Matata (performed by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella) * The Lion Sleeps Tonight (performed by Lebo M.) * Jungle Boogie (performed by Kool & The Gang) * Sunrise, Sunset (performed by Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella) * Can You Feel The Love Tonight) (performed by Kristle Edwards) * Hawaiian War Chant (performed by Nathan Lane) * Digga Tunnah reprise (performed by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella with chorus) * Digga Tunnah dance (performed by Raven-Symoné) * The Good, the Bad and the Ugly * Peter Gunn Theme * Homeward Bound * Father's Footsteps * Sabre Dance * Simba and Nala move in/end International releases For information about international dubs and releases, The Lion King 1½/International. Category:2004 films Category:2000s American animated films Category:American musical films Category:Films produced by George A. Mendoza Category:Films directed by Bradley Raymond Category:Film scores by Don Harper Category:American sequel films Category:Disney direct-to-video films Category:Direct-to-video sequel films Category:DisneyToons Studios animated films Category:Walt Disney Animation Australia